Arrival

I made it!

My travels began in LAX onto Amsterdam and then finally to Dubai! The flights went well except the last flight included plenty of screaming babies which tested my patience a little.

I'm very excited to be here! There are so many things I've learned in the past14 hrs. For one, the biggest summer blockbuster of 2012, The Dark Knight Rises...will NOT be released here in Dubai out of respect for the month of Ramadan. Instead of distracting from the holy month, the release is postponed to the end of Ramadan in order to celebrate. As a movie go-er I'm a little sad because I was excited to see a big movie release here however I do appreciate the prioritization of religious values over sales.

Lifestyle suggestions for Non-muslims during Ramadan in the UAE

I also read the morning paper and there was a quick article for non-Muslims living in the country with suggestions on how to act during this time of the month. (see photo from the Gulf News) I thought it was responsible to provide advice in order to create a respectful atmosphere between people who are observing the month and those who are not. The article also represents an expectation of a change of lifestyle. It made me think about how stores close for Christmas and how spring break conveniently falls around Easter time. As a Muslim in the US, no one really knows when my religious days are unless people already have Muslim friends who inform them. People just compliment me on my nice dress while i'm waiting in line at Albertsons to purchase quick groceries for celebratory foods or picking up treats to take to someone's house. The Albertons cashiers are the only people not already in my regular day-to-day life who really recognize me in some form on a special religious day. It's going to be a treat to be able to appreciate the people around me who are going to change their day to accommodate the special religious time.

Aside from Ramadan in a Muslim country, I'm pumped to start this internship. I will be drafting an initial draft of HR policy for a large construction company which specializes in soil improvement and ground water control in accordance with UAE labor regulations.